Recession not all bad news for grads

Written by Todd Stansfield
(tstansfi@mscd.edu)

With the nation’s unemployment rate hovering close to 8 percent and no end in sight to the recession, many Metro students are rethinking and changing their career plans. Despite the economic downturn, there are still several degrees that remain in high demand.

Many areas are being hard hit by the recession, but fields such as nursing and engineering continue to grow, with many new jobs opening for recent graduates.

As developments in computer programming, data management, software engineering and other information processing operations continue to revolutionize, so will the need for employees trained in computer information systems. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that this will be the fastest growing occupation in the next seven years.

Baby boomers are nearing retirement and this, coupled with an aging population, accounts for the increased demand for nurses. As more than 70 million members of the workforce near retirement, additional jobs will open in many health-care fields.

Increases in governmental contracting in conjunction with the recent passage of the stimulus bill and $120 billion set aside for upgrades to the nation’s infrastructure and science have made civil, mechanical, industrial, chemical and electrical engineering key positions employers will need filled.

This is good news for engineering majors at Metro, like Jayshen Bell, a civil engineering major who began to worry about his future job prospects as the economy started to falter.

“Even without the stimulus, there were still a good amount of jobs and people didn’t seem to be having as difficult a time finding employment as some other areas did,” Bell said.

The four highest paying jobs for people with less than five years experience are all engineering-based jobs.

Accountants play an essential role in businesses and government agencies. The field will increase, adding more than 200,000 jobs by the year 2016 as a result of tightening governmental restrictions and the introduction of new businesses.

Johann Snyman, management professor for the School of Business, said he believes management is one of the most sought-after degrees within the spectrum of business.
According to the labor bureau, financial analysts — including management and finance majors ­will be among the fastest growing occupations by 2016.

What does the future hold? What areas will emerge as new areas for students to find jobs?
“Green energy. Anything that has to do with green energy,” Snyman said.

The stimulus bill, which allocates roughly $50 billion toward energy conservation efforts and alternative energy solutions, will stimulate the demand for green degrees.

In addition, companies who operate with green energy will be eligible for tax cuts outlined in the bill. In turn, this will encourage employer creation of programs and jobs in the green energy industry.